OSAKA -- It has been nearly a year since "Knock" Yokoyama resigned as Osaka's governor and was charged with molesting a female campaign aide, for which he was given an 18-month suspended prison term finalized in August.
But although his downfall was to some extent attributed to public anger, which played a key role in the prosecutors' decision to indict him, some soul-searching regarding the way the case was handled is now going on among those who supported the victim.
Yoko Kurihara, a member of the victim's support group, charged that the wide-reaching anti-Yokoyama campaign that blossomed after the groping came to light could have hurt the victim. In turn, this might have jeopardized the whole criminal trial because it was up to the victim to decide whether she wanted to maintain or withdraw the complaint.